There are approximately 200 million people of African descent
in the Americas, yet, despite comprising one third of the
region’s population, Afro-descendants are one of the most
vulnerable minority groups in the hemisphere.

It should be noted that in the
Declaration of Santiago
and the
Declaration of Durban, the American states
recognized that people of African descent have to confront
obstacles as a result of the social discrimination and
prejudice that prevail in public and private institutions
and also recognized that this is due to centuries of racism,
racial discrimination and enslavement and of the denial by
history of many of their rights This situation also results
in a lack of recognition for the contribution of this group
to the cultural heritage of the Americas.

We should draw attention to the fact that the
Inter-American Democratic Charter recognizes that
elimination of all forms of discrimination and respect for
ethnic, cultural and religious diversity in the Americas
contribute to strengthening democracy and citizen
participation.

International Public Law provides several instruments
against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and
related intolerance. At the universal level the United
Nations has driven substantial efforts to combat these
scourges.

By the same token, a succession of mandates have come out of
the [Summits
of the Americas] and the General Assembly of the
Organization of American States to combat racism and
discrimination. The negotiation is at present under way in
the framework of the OAS of a Draft Inter-American
Convention against Racism and All Forms of Discrimination
and Intolerance.

It should also be noted that at both the regional and
international level the majority of member states have
signed, ratified or adopted, as the case may be, a variety
of international instruments for the elimination of racial
discrimination as well as for promotion and respect for the
rights of persons of African descent.